British Embassy in Nigeria has started special services that ensures visa applicants can get their visa on the same day or within five days of application. The embassy has also reduced the maximum turnaround time for all classes of visa application to 15 days.
British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, made the disclosure in Lagos weekend while delivering a lecture titled “Nigeria-British Relations – The Next 100 Years” as part of activities to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC).
Arkwright said UK remained steadfast in her resolve to sustain the age-long relationships with Nigeria as
well as provide support for Nigerians, especially by keeping her doors open to law abiding citizens.
“In 2016, around 140,000 Nigerians applied for visas to the UK. Of those that applied for student visas, 90% were successful. For those that applied for other visas, around 70% were successful. There are as many as 250,000 Nigerian nationals or dual Nigerian-British nationals living in the UK at the moment.
Some claim the total Nigerian Diaspora in the UK is well over a million. We want Nigerians to come to the UK. They come to do business, to study, to see family and to invest in our economy.
“We have introduced a same day visa service – at a cost – for visas in Nigeria. We have also introduced a service that can mean you get a visa within 5 days, at a lower cost than the same day process. Our turnaround time for all other visas is 15 days. The key thing, however, is that all visitors to the UK – whether they are from Nigeria or anywhere else – must respect the law and the length of time their visa says they can stay in the UK,” Arkwright said.
Elsewhere in the lecture, the envoy also predicted that Nigeria’s role in the world would change significantly as, in few years, Lagos would become a major global economic centre while Nigeria would emerge one of the three biggest countries in the world.
“By 2050, Nigeria will be the third biggest country in the world as it will overtake the USA to join China and India as the three biggest countries. Secondly, Lagos – Africa’s fifth largest economy in 2016 – will become more important in the coming years as the African example of how to break down barriers to doing business and bring in foreign investment,” he said.
He said the UK was happy with the economic outlook of Nigeria, adding that by virtue of the policies and investment habits of the current Federal Government of Nigeria, it was clear that the country would no longer be dependent on aid to develop.
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